Staying Safe During Spring Break

April is finally here, which mean that spring is in the air. This also means that the warm weather will herald in revelry and overzealous drinking.

April is also one of the biggest months for college spring breaks. Lots of college kids will be heading off for spring break with sunny destinations in mind. While we wish this wasn’t the case, college spring breaks are also synonymous with substance abuse, whether that be smoking marijuana or drinking too much.

With all of the college kids heading to popular spring break destinations, extra traffic on the road poses a lot of dangers. Last year around this time, there was a huge spike in traffic related accidents and deaths. So, while it’s important for you to enjoy yourself on your time off, it’s also important to stay safe.

Today, we’re going to discuss some of the most common ways that college kids get arrested during spring break, and how you can know the laws and protect yourself.

Top Spring Break Arrests

During spring break, Arizonian college students head out of town to a variety of tourist destinations, like San Diego, New Orleans, Denver, and Miami. Some college students like to stay in-state and other students in neighboring states might make their way to Lake Havasu City in Arizona, which has been a popular vacation spot since the 90s. With the influx and outflow of traffic, Arizonian police are going to be on the prowl this month to enforce laws with road tripping spring breakers, looking for common misdemeanors amongst this age group.

Driving and boating under the influence. One of the biggest priorities of Arizona police are DUI arrests. If you’re underage with a DUI, then you’re subject to a harsher punishment and license suspension. Boating under the influence charges rise during this month, as special boating enforcements will crackdown on boaters who look like they’re drinking. Like DUIs in an automobile, you can be charged with a BUI, if you blow over a .08 blood alcohol content.If you get pulled over while boating, you can try and defend yourself by keeping some things in mind. For one, you should be aware of your 4th amendment rights, which makes it illegal for them to search your boat. You can also fight BUIs, since sobriety tests are harder to perform on unstable surfaces.

Underage Drinking. This is probably the most obvious misdemeanor that police will be looking for in spring breakers. College kids under the age of 21 are going to drink illegally, which puts a crosshair on their heads amongst Arizona police. If you’re under 21, and a police stops you and asks for your age, they will use portable a breathalyzer to check your sobriety.Another common misdemeanor during spring break is fake ID charges, which is a permanent mistake that could follow you the rest of your life. If you’re over the age of 21, be weary of minors asking you to buy alcohol for them. Buying alcohol for minors and even being around minors in possession of alcohol could land you with a $2,500 fine or 6 months in jail.

Possession of marijuana or drugged driving. During spring break, a lot of college students head to Denver to participate in the recreational pot tourism. While if you’re over the age of 21, purchasing and partaking in marijuana in Colorado is legal. However, as soon as you cross out of the Colorado state lines, you’re in danger of possession or under the influence charges. If police smell marijuana in your vehicle (or boat), then they have all of the probable cause they need to search for drugs.In Arizona, it is also against the law to drive a vehicle while under the influence of a drug, which means if any non-prescribed mind altering drug is found in your system, then you can also be charged with drugged driving. Any time you operate a vehicle in Arizona, you’re implying consent to tests for alcohol or drug content.One thing to keep in mind is that cannabis can stay in your body for up to a month after ingesting it, which means it’s possible to get arrested for drugged driving weeks after ingesting it. So, if you plan on participating in marijuana on spring break in Colorado, you should find a clean driver for the road trip home and upcoming weeks. Otherwise, you’re in danger of getting a drugged driving charge, until it’s out of your system.

Even if you’re not a college student, you should beware that April is another crackdown month for DUIs. Whether you’re visiting Arizona from out-of-state or a domestic resident, the Weingart Firm can help protect against driving while intoxicated charges.